Three-level stacking container

Abstract

A three-level stacking container adapted to stack within a lower container of like construction in a low-level stack position or an intermediate-stack position, or stack on said lower container in a high-stack position, depending upon the orientation of said upper container with respect to said lower container. Opposing first and second wall structures of said container comprise bar members which extend in an upwardly direction between a lower border flange and an upper rim. Said bar members are arranged such that the bar members of an upper container parallel the bar members of a lower container when said upper container is stacked within said lower container.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A generally rectangular container adapted for stacking with another like container at three different levels comprising a generally horizontally disposed bottom, and first and second opposed sidewalls projecting upwardly from the opposing first and second sides of said bottom, respectively, with each of said first and second sidewalls comprising: a border flange extending along the respective first or second opposite side of the bottom and being vertically disposed in a first vertical plane adjoining said respective side of said bottom,   an upper rim being vertically disposed above and in a second vertical plane outside and parallel to that of said first vertical plane,   a plurality of bar members extending vertically in a third vertical plane in an upwardly direction between the outer surface of said border flange and the inner surface of said upper rim, said bar members in one of said first and second opposed sidewalls being arranged with respect to the bar members and spacing thereof in the opposite of said first and second sidewalls so that another like container, when reversely oriented with respect to said container, will stack inside said container in a low stack position,   a plurality of spaced-apart stacking feet on the outer surface of the bottom flange,   a plurality of stacking saddles on the inner surface of said rim spaced above said stacking feet for registering in vertical alignment with said plurality of stacking feet of a like container placed upon said container in a like orientation so that the upper like oriented like container will stack inside said container in an intermediate stack position, said stacking feet and said stacking saddles being of such dimensions and so positioned as not to prohibit a like container from being placed in said container in said low stack position, and   a pivotable bar means extending along and mounted to said rim, said bar means being capable of resting upon at least some of said stacking saddles inside said rim and being of such dimensions that when said bar means so rests upon said stacking saddles, another like oriented or reversely oriented like container will stack upon said bar means of said container in a high stack position, said bar means further being capable of being pivoted to a point which will allow a like container to be stacked in said container in either low stack or intermediate stack position.   
     
     
       2. A container according to claim 1 wherein the stacking saddles are provided on the tops of at least some of said bars of said first and second sidewalls and the stacking feet are provided on the bottoms of at least some of said bars of said first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
       3. A container according to claim 2 having third and fourth opposed sidewalls which will allow stacking of two such containers in the low stack, intermediate stack, and high stack positions. 
     
     
       4. A container according to claim 3 wherein said third and fourth opposed sidewalls each includes a border flange adjoining the border flange of the first and second sidewalls and extending along the respective third or fourth opposite sides of the bottom and being disposed in a first vertical plane located adjacent said respective side of said bottom, said third sidewall includes a pair of partial upper rim members disposed above and in a vertical plane outside and parallel to the plane in which said third sidewall border flange is disposed, one said partial upper rim member adjoining the upper rim of the first sidewall and the other said partial upper rim member adjoining the upper rim of the second sidewall, each said partial rim member being of such length that it extends less than half the distance between the adjoining first and second sidewall rims, at least one vertically disposed bar extending in an upwardly direction from the outer surface of said third sidewall border flange to the inner surface of each said respective partial upper rim member,   said fourth sidewall includes an upper rim disposed above and in a vertical plane outside and parallel to the plane in which said fourth sidewall border flange is disposed, and a plurality of spaced-apart bar members extending vertically in an upwardly direction between the outer surface of said fourth sidewall border flange and the inner surface of said fourth sidewall rim, said bar members of said fourth sidewall being arranged with respect to the bar members in the third sidewall so that another like container will stack inside said container in a low stack position when reversely oriented with respect to said container.   
     
     
       5. A container according to claim 4 wherein the border flanges of said first and second sidewalls project downwardly below the lower surface of the bottom member. 
     
     
       6. A container according to claim 5 wherein said pivotable bar means of said first and second sidewalls each has the slot on the surface which is uppermost when said pivotable bar is resting on said stacking saddles, said slots being disposed immediately above said respective sidewall border flange and having length and width of the bottom of the respective sidewall border flange. 
     
     
       7. A container according to claim 6 wherein said pivotable bar means of said first and second sidewalls are adapted to pivot from resting upon said stacking saddles to resting against the outside surface of said respective sidewall rim. 
     
     
       8. A container according to claim 6 wherein said pivotable bar means of said first and second sidewalls are adapted to pivot only from resting upon said stacking saddles to a vertical position in the same vertical plane as the respective sidewall. 
     
     
       9. A container according to claim 8 wherein the upper rim of said fourth sidewall and the partial upper rim of said third sidewall have dimensions such that when the pivotable bars are in their vertical position and a like reversely oriented container is placed in said container the uppermost surface of said pivotable bars will contact the lowermost surface of the first and second sidewall rims of the upper container, the uppermost surface of the partial upper rims of the third sidewall will contact the lowermost surface of the fourth sidewall upper rim of the upper container, and the uppermost surface of the fourth sidewall will contact the lowermost surface of the partial upper rim members of the third sidewall of the upper container. 
     
     
       10. A container according to claim 6 wherein said pivotable bar means are adapted to pivot only from resting upon said stacking saddles to a position no greater than 180° from the position of resting upon said stacking saddles. 
     
     
       11. A container according to claim 10 wherein said pivotable bar means are adapted to pivot only from resting upon said stacking saddles to a position no greater than 120° from the position of resting upon said stacking saddles. 
     
     
       12. A container according to claim 11 wherein the uppermost surfaces of said pivotable bars, when resting upon the stacking saddles and the uppermost surface of all four sidewalls, all lie in the same horizontal plane. 
     
     
       13. A container according to claim 12 wherein the lowermost surface of all four sidewalls lies in the same horizontal plane and said third and fourth sidewall border flanges each have notches adjacent their junction with said first and second sidewall border flanges, said notches being of such size and so placed that lower portions of said border flanges of said first and second walls will fit into the slot of a like container having its pivotable bars resting upon the stacking saddles. 
     
     
       14. A container according to claim 13 wherein all four border flanges project upwardly above the top surface of the bottom. 
     
     
       15. A container according to claim 14 wherein all four border flanges project upwardly throughout their length to the same height. 
     
     
       16. A container according to claim 14 wherein the border flanges of the first, second and fourth sidewalls each project upwardly throughout their length to the same height and the border flange of the third sidewall at least throughout the length of its central portion projects upward to a lower height. 
     
     
       17. A container according to claim 16 wherein the central portion of the third sidewall projects upwardly to a height less than about one-half the height of the border flanges of the first, second and fourth sidewalls and wherein the end portions of the third sidewall project upwardly to the same height as that of the border flanges of the first, second and fourth sidewalls. 
     
     
       18. A container according to claim 17 wherein the lower surfaces of the upper rims and the partial upper rim members throughout their lengths thereof lie in the same horizontal plane. 
     
     
       19. A container according to claim 16 wherein the portions of the sidewall that are below the sidewall partial upper rim members project upwardly to the same height as that of the border flanges of the first, second and fourth sidewalls, the remaining central portion of the third sidewall border flange projects upwardly to lower height, and each partial upper rim member has adjacent the end opposite that adjoins the respective first and second sidewall a vertically disposed bar extending upwardly between the outer surface of said third sidewall border flange and the inner surface of said respective partial upper rim member. 
     
     
       20. A container according to claim 19 wherein the lower surfaces of the upper rims and the partial upper rim members throughout their lengths thereof lie in the same horizontal plane. 
     
     
       21. A container according to claim 20 wherein portions of upper rims of said first and second sidewalls are adapted to prevent the pivotable bar attached thereto from pivoting outward more than 120° from the position where said pivotable bar rests upon said stacking saddles. 
     
     
       22. A container according to claim 20 wherein portions of the pivotable bar are adapted to contact the upper rims of said first and second sidewalls to prevent the pivotable bar attached thereto from pivoting outward more than 120° from the position where said pivotable bar rests upon said stacking saddles. 
     
     
       23. A generally rectangular container adapted for stacking with another like container at three different levels comprisng a generally horizontally disposed bottom, and first and second opposed sidewalls projecting upwardly from the opposing first and second sides of said bottom, respectively, with each of said first and second sidewalls comprising: a border flange extending along the respective first or second opposite side of the bottom and being vertically disposed in a first vertical plane adjoining said respective side of said bottom,   an upper rim being vertically disposed above and in a second vertical plane outside and parallel to that of said first vertical plane,   a plurality of bar members extending in a third vertical plane in an upwardly direction between the outer surface of said border flange and the inner surface of said upper rim, said bar members in one of said first and second opposed sidewalls being arranged with respect to the bar members and the spacing thereof in the opposite of said first and second sidewalls so that another like container when like oriented will stack inside said container in a low stack position,   a plurality of spaced-apart stacking feet on the outer surface of the bottom flange,   a plurality of stacking saddles on the inner surface of said rim spaced above said stacking feet for registering in vertical alignment with said plurality of stacking feet of a like container placed upon said container in a reverse orientation so that the upper reversely oriented like container will stack inside said container in an intermediate stack position, said stacking feet and said stacking saddles being of such dimensions and so positioned as not to prohibit a like container from being placed in said container in said low stack position, and   a pivotable bar means extending along and mounted to said rim, said bar means being capable of resting upon at least some of said stacking saddles inside said rim and being of such dimensions that when said bar means so rests upon said stacking saddles, another like oriented or reversely oriented like container will stack upon said bar means of said container in a high stack position, said bar means further being capable of being pivoted to a point which will allow a like container to be stacked in said container in either low stack or intermediate stack position.   
     
     
       24. A container according to claim 23 wherein the stacking saddles are provided on the tops of at least some of said bars of said first and second sidewalls and the stacking feet are provided on the bottoms of at least some of said bars of said first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
       25. A container according to claim 24 having third and fourth opposed sidewalls which will allow stacking of two such containers in the low stack, intermediate stack, and high stack positions. 
     
     
       26. A container according to claim 25 wherein said third and fourth opposed sidewalls each comprises, a border flange extending along the respective side of said bottom in a first vertical plane,   a pair of partial upper rim members disposed above said border flange in a vertical plane outside and parallel to the plane of the respective border flange, one said partial upper rim member adjoining the upper rim of the second sidewall and the other said partial rim member adjoining the upper rim of the first sidewall, and each partial rim member being of such length that it extends less than half the distance between the adjoining first and second sidewall rims,   and a pair of inclined brace members each lying in the same vertical plane as the partial upper rim members and extending from the end of the partial upper rim members opposite that which adjoins the respective first and second sidewall downward toward the other to adjoin the border flange, such that a like oriented like container could be placed inside said container in the low stack position.   
     
     
       27. A generally rectangular container adapted for stacking with another like container at three different levels comprisng a generally horizontally disposed bottom, and first and second opposed sidewalls projecting upwardly from the opposing first and second sides of said bottom, respectively, with each of said first and second sidewalls comprising: a border flange extending along the respective first or second opposite side of the bottom and being vertically disposed in a first vertical plane adjoining said respective side of said bottom,   an upper rim being vertically disposed above and in a second vertical plane outside and parallel to that of said first vertical plane,   a plurality of bar members extending upwardly in a third vertical plane between the outer surface of said border flange and the inner surface of said upper rim, said bar members in one of said first and second opposed sidewalls being arranged with respect to the bar members and spacing thereof in the opposite of said first and second sidewalls so that another like container will stack inside said container in a low stack position either when like oriented or when reversely oriented,   a plurality of spaced-apart stacking feet on the outer surface of the bottom flange,   a plurality of stacking saddles on the inner surface of said rim spaced above said stacking feet, said stacking feet and said stacking saddles being of such dimensions and so positioned as not to prohibit a like container from being placed in said container in a low stack position and so as to allow a like container to stack in an intermediate stack position wherein the stacking feet of the like container register in vertical alignment with the stacking saddles of said container when said like container is placed upon said container in an orientation reverse to that which allows said like container to stack in said container in the low stack position,   a pivotable bar means extending along and mounted to said rim, said bar means being capable of resting upon at least some of said stacking saddles inside said rim and being of such dimensions that when said bar means so rests upon said stacking saddles, another like oriented or reversely oriented like container will stack upon said bar means of said container in a high stack position, said bar means further being capable of being pivoted to a point which will allow a like container to be stacked in said container in either low stack or intermediate stack position.